1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a user interface in mobile, office, factory or military equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
Data input devices having rollers are known in the art. One problem with the roller known in the art is that it needs to use encoders with sliding contacts; and the size can also be a problem. The mechanical encoder needs space for sliding contacts, and if the contacts are inside the roller wheel, the diameter becomes quite large. If the encoder is outside the roller wheel, there are problems because of a long shaft (industrial design) and sealing. The mechanical feedback to the user is poor in mechanical rollers. It is not possible to control the behavior of the known roller by software.
Moreover, the mechanical roller known in the art has mechanical signal switching, and after filtering the signal is microprocessor compatible; and the level of the signal is independent of the speed of movement in practice. However, the sliding contacts quickly wear; sliding contacts generate unwanted signals too that must be filtered; and the mechanical feedback to the user is passive and has to be generated by a mechanical wearing system.
Other data input devices are also known in the art. For example, WO 98/30971 discloses one such device having a rotatable ball with indented interaction means on the surface thereof. The rotatable ball is mounted in a body having different combinations for exerting force on the rotatable ball, including a spring and a ball combination; and a core, coil, switch, voltage source and magnet combination.
The invention provides a transducer or roller that may be used as a sensor of a force or as a driver for providing a force.
When used as a sensor, the transducer or roller responds to a force applied by a user, for providing a multi-phase coil signal containing information about the force applied by the user. The transducer or roller has a magnetic rotor in combination with a multi-phase coil member. In operation, the magnetic rotor responds to the force applied by the user, for providing a magnetic rotor force. The multi-phase coil member responds to the magnetic rotor force, for providing a multi-phase coil signal containing information about the force applied by the user. The force applied by the user may include a rotational force applied by the user to a track ball or any force applied by the user to a mouse that causes the transducer or roller to move or rotate. In this case, the multi-phase coil signal contains information about the force applied by the user on the track ball or the mouse. The multi-phase coil member includes three or more coils. The transducer or roller may be used as a part of mobile, office, factory or military equipment, such as a joystick.
Alternatively, when used as a driver, the transducer or roller responds to roller driving signals, for example directly or indirectly from a host system, for rotating the transducer or roller about a main roller axis. In this case, the multi-phase coil member responds to the roller driving signals, for providing multi-phase coil driver signals. The magnetic rotor responds to the multi-phase coil driver signals, for rotating or moving the transducer or roller.
The roller may be used as a part of a roller system used in combination with the host system or other electrical circuitry.
In effect, the roller in itself bears a strong resemblance to a stepper motor. The roller is used mainly as a synchronous generator, which outputs a three-phase voltage. From the three-phase voltage, it is possible to get information about the amount and direction of movement of the roller or transducer.
One advantage of the present invention is that there is no need to use an encoder with sliding contacts. The only wearing parts are bearings between the magnetic rotor and the multi-phase coil member. Another advantage is that the overall structure is quite simple.